Holder for visitors&#39; memoranda



Sept. 12, 1944. w. E. WILLIAMS 7 2,358,041

HOLDER FOR VISITO RS MEMORANDA Filed July 14, 1942 Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,s5s,041 I, HOLDER i on VISITORS MEMORANDA William E. Williams, o ai, Calif. Application July 14, 1942 Serial No. 450,871

6 Claims. (01. 31234) This invention relates to a device, the purpose of which is to enable memoranda to be made, for example, bya visitor at a residence where he finds that the persons living in the house are absent. It is now a common practice to hang up a slate and pencil, or a pad and penoil, in the vicinity of the front door so as to enable the caller to make a note of his visit, giving the time he arrived, etc.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a holder for a pad-panel, so constructed that while the lid of the holder is closed,

the pad-panel will be held in a more or less upwill drop down into its operative position merely by the action of gravity. I

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to be described hereinafter, QT)

all of which contribute to produce an efficient holder for visitors memoranda.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a holder embodying this invention, with the lid closed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but representing the lid open, and illustrating the pad-panel after it has dropped down into its operative position in which the pad or panel is presented in an inclined position to facilitate writing upon it.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section upon an enlarged scale, taken about on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 1, and illustrating the pad-panel in its folded substantially, upright position within the holder.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken about on the 7 line 44 of Fig. 2 looking toward the door which is shown broken away. This view, of course, illustrates the pad-panel held in its operative position ready to receive notes or memoranda on the pad.

In practicing the invention, I provide a holder having a body in which the pad-panel is carried. A lid is provided for the body, that operates in its closed ,position to hold the pad-panel in a substantially upright position within the body. I also provide means cooperating with the pad-panel when the lid is opened, to permit the pad panel to descend by gravity and assume an inclined position to facilitate writing upon the same;

Referring more particularly to the parts I indicates the body of the holder which, if desired,

' may be constructed of wood and simulate'a book;

and presenting a lid 2 which, if desired, may be secured to the body by hinges 3 located at the left as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Within the body I provide apad-panel-4 preferably comprising a main panel 4a and a base member or base panel 4b. These two parts are operatively engaged, and preferably hingedly connected together at their abutting edges as indicated at the hinge connection 5. While the hinge connection 5 may be effected in any desired manner, in the present instance I prefer to effect this hinge connection by employing two short pieces or straps 6 of flexible material such as thin leather. There are preferably two of these straps near each side of the panel as indicated in Fig. 2. One of these straps is fastened to the front of the main panel, extends through the space between the adjacent edges of the panels and is secured to the rear side of the base-panel 4b. The other two hinge straps are secured in an opposite way, that is to say, they arev attached to the base panel on its forward side and to the main panel 4a on its rear side. It should be understood that this holder is adapted to be attached in a vertical position, preferably against a surface of a wall indicated by the vertical linel, and when the holder is ina state of rest, the lid 2 is in its closed position, at which time it holds the pad-panel 4 in a more or less upright position within the holder, that is to say, the inner face of the lid engages the forward edge of the pad-panel or the pad 8 that lies on the panel, being secured at its upper edge 9 to the forward face of the section 4a of this panel.

When in this position the -lower edge of the base member or panel 41) is preferably located in the corner I i! adjacent the rear wall ll of the holder, and is supported upon a stop. In the present construction this is the bottom wall H of the holder. When in this folded condition the point of engagement or joint 545 located out.

of vertical alignment with the point at'which the bottom wall l2 supports the base panel 41). In other words, the joint is already partially .ing beyondthe side edges of theinain so as to produce the pintles 14.

broken outwardly. As a result of this,- when the lidis opened the pad-panel will drop down automatically by gravity, to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 4, with the panel section 40 in an inclined position, for writing.

In order, to retain the pad-panel in the holde a'guiding means I3 is provided at each side of the holder, and this guide means may be in the form of a groove'cut into'each side wall of the holder. Means is provided at each. side of the main panel 4a to engage in this groove, and,-

this preferably consists of a projecting pintle l4.

'Th ese pintles run'in these grooves, and in the operating position illustrated in Fig. '4,;the pintles' are stopped against shoulders H5 at the lower ends of the grooves. In other words, in

,the open p'osition the panel hangs on the bottoms of the grooves, and in this position the base panel 4b rests on the upper face of the bottom 7 wall I 2 and operates as a strut to hold the bottom edge of the panel section 4a thrust outwardly.

In this way the base section 41) operates to hold.

the panel sectionda in thedesired inclined position. f I 3 The pintles M are most conveniently formed by cutting a panel or groove 15 along the upper edge of the main panel 4a and gluing a wooden oar I! in this panel, the ends lof the bar projectpanel within the body; said body having substantially vertically extending guiding means at each side,

and the upper edge of said main panel having means-for engaging the same to guide the upper edge of the main panel to move up and down I within the body: all of said parts cooperating to permit the pad-panel, to descend by gravity when the lid is opened to enable the base-panel to lie substantially horizontally on the said bottom wall and to support the main panel in an" inclined position for writing uponthe same.

It should be understood that the holder is pref erablyconstructed entirely of wood, including the *panelsections 4a and 4b. They are consequently of light weight so that in their upright position the outward thrust, exerted by the panel against the inner face of the lid 2, is very slight and not 7 3. A 'mem'oran'dum pad'holder having a body,

a pad-panel within the body including a main 7 panel and a base-panel hingedly connected thereto, said body having a bottom wall on whichthe base-panel rests, a lid for the body operating in its closed positiontto engage the pad-panel and i hold the same in a substantially upright position within the body, the upper edge of the main panel having a pintleat each side projecting outwardly from' the same, said body having a guide groove at each side for guiding its corresponding pintle; all of said parts cooperating to permit the padpanel to descend by gravity when the lid is opened, into a position in which the base-panel lies substantially horizontally on the said bottom wall, so as to present the main panel in an inclined position for writing upon the same.

4. A memorandum pad holder having a 'body'; a panel within the body including a main panel and a base-panel having a joint connecting the I "sameto' the lower edge of the main panel, said body having a bottom wall on which the lower" edge of the b-ase-panelr'ests when the panel is sufiicient to overcome the friction of the hinges 3, to swing the lid open. However, it would hardly be necessary to provide a spring to hold the lid closed. If the hinges being employed are new and operate with slight friction, it would bemerely necessary to attach them in a slightly out of line position with each other. .This would insurethat the movements at the hinges would oiTer sufficientres'istance t'o in'sure'that the lid 2 would notopen itself by the pressure of the folded the body operating in its closed position to engage thepad-p-anel and hold the same ina substantially upright position within the body, and means'for guiding the upperedge of the padpanel to move upand down within the body, all

in a nearly upright position within the holder, a

lid for thebody operating in its closed position to engage the main panel and hold the panel in its nearly upright position, means for guiding the upper edge of the main panel on the body; the said jointbetween the main panel, and the base-panel being disposed forwardly of the point of support of the base-panel on the bottom 'wall so that when the lid is, swung open the main panel willdescend by gravity and be supported by the upon the same. 7 7

5. A' memorandum pad holder having a body,

base-panel in an inclined position, for writing a panelwithinthe body, means for guiding the of said parts coopjeratingto permitthe pad-panel todescend by gravity when the lidis opened, to enable the main panel to' assume an inclined position for writing upon the same.

. 2.'A memorandum pad holder having a body,

a pad-panel within theloody including a'main d panel and a base-panel hingedly connected thereto, said body having a bottom wall on which the base-panel" rests, a lid for'the body operating in its closed position to engage the padpanel and hold the same in a substantially upright position upper end of the panel to move substantially vertically within the body, a base member operatively connected to the lower end of the panel at a forwardly disposed point within the body, a door A for the body engaging the lower end of said panel and base member to hold the same up within the body,'said panel operating to drop down by gravity when the door is opened, at which time said base member supports the panel in an,inclined position for writingpurposes.

6. A memorandum pad holder having albody,

a panel within the body, means for guiding the upper end of the panel for substantially vertical movement on said body, a lid for the body, means associated with the panel cooperating with the lid in the closed position of the lid to holdthe panel in a substantially upright position within the body, said'means, when the lid is opened, permitting the panel to descend by gravity down said guiding means and causing it to assume an inclined position to facilitate writing upon the same.

WILLIAM E; WILLIAMS. 

